7 years ago
BLUEBERRY FARMERS LET DOWN BY NATIONALS
THE HON JASON CLARE MP THE HON JOEL FITZGIBBON MP
Blueberry farmers can't get access to the massive Chinese market because of another Barnaby bungle.
China is one of the fastest growing markets in the world for blueberries - and Australian farmers are missing out.
Australian blueberry farmers can't export their blueberries to China because the Australian Government has not established an export protocol with the Chinese Government.
Barnaby Joyce hasn't even put it on the priority list for export protocols with China.
Horticulture Australia has recommended that blueberries be added to the priority list but this to date has been ignored by Barnaby Joyce.
That means Australian farmers are missing out on exporting to the Chinese market where Chinese demand for blueberries is growing at 20 per cent per annum, making blueberries the fastest growing fresh fruit category in China and worldwide.
Instead of eating Australian blueberries, Chinese shoppers are eating blueberries from Canada, Chile, and Peru and Argentina.
While Barnaby Joyce has been sitting on his hands Canada, Chile, and Peru and Argentina have all signed export protocols with the Chinese Government for the export of blueberries.
Shadow Trade Minister Jason Clare visited Costa Farms in Corindi – one of the country’s biggest blueberry farms - to get a briefing on the impacts the Nationals’ laziness is having on local industry.
Local National MPs Kevin Hogan and Luke Hartsuyker should be on the phone to Barnaby Joyce demanding that he act to help local blueberry industry grow and create more local jobs.
The Nationals take the North Coast for granted.
The Coffs Harbour – Grafton labour market region has the highest unemployment rate or any region in NSW at 7.5 per cent. Yet, the do-nothing Nationals let new jobs go to Canada and Chile instead of Coffs and Corindi.
Kevin Hogan and Luke Hartsuyker fly to Canberra and vote to give millionaires a tax cut and do nothing to create more jobs in the local blueberry industry.
The North Coast deserves better.
Jason Clare and Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon have written to Barnaby Joyce urging him to put blueberries on the priority list as soon as possible and develop an export protocol with the Chinese Government.